Workers At Hrs Complain 81 In Petition Blast `Abusive` Conditions

April 12, 1991|By JENNI BERGAL, Staff Writer

In an unusual move, dozens of state welfare workers from Palm Beach County have sent a petition to Gov. Lawton Chiles complaining about ``abusive, abominable`` working conditions and claiming they have been threatened against speaking out.

The 81 Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services staff members who signed the petition represent most of the workers in the Delray Beach and Lake Worth offices who are involved with food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

``We were just completely overloaded with work. We had to work every second of the day. There`s tremendous stress and pressure, and that ultimately affects clients,`` Randy Samuels, a Delray Beach AFDC worker said on Thursday.

The petition alleges two HRS workers have suffered strokes and another an ulcer as a direct result of the job.

``These stressful conditions have led to a tremendous burnout and turnover rate, which in turn has led to the inability to properly serve our clients,`` the workers wrote.

HRS officials said data on turnover rates was not readily available. The starting salary of an AFDC or food stamp worker is $17,758 a year.

Samuels said the governor has not responded to the petition, which was sent a few weeks ago. Copies were also sent to HRS officials, a U.S. congressman and government leaders.

Palm Beach County`s new top HRS official said on Thursday he sympathizes with the workers` complaints and is trying to solve the problems.

``These people are working under tremendous strains. Their workloads are through the roof,`` said Dr. James Howell, acting district administrator.

Howell blamed the jump in welfare clients on increasing unemployment, expanded Medicaid coverage for children and a booming population in Palm Beach County.

Howell said he has held ``town meetings`` and work days with the staff members and hopes the new legislative budget will include money for extra positions. Staff has also been reallocated from other parts of the district to help overburdened workers.

The petition comes at a time when HRS is under increasing pressure from clients to issue food stamps faster.

Last week, a public-interest law firm filed a class-action suit in federal court in Tampa on behalf of about 750,000 food-stamp recipients, saying HRS illegally delayed approval of benefits and caused poor people to go hungry.

But the HRS staff petition says food-stamp and AFDC workers are overworked in the Delray Beach and Lake Worth offices, which handle most welfare cases in south Palm Beach County. One worker, for example, has 600 active cases.

Workers wrote that they feared retribution because ``some HRS staff, in more elevated positions than the common worker, threatened to fire or reprimand any and all who might use the First Amendment to speak the truth to any governmental official.``